Kelley Indianapolis

I always knew that I wanted to write news stories. I started a stapled-together newspaper in second grade. I edited my high school newspaper and anchored our college news show, IU News Forum. What I’ve learned after nearly a decade as a television news reporter is that the subjects in my stories mean more to me than having my name on the byline.

I joined the IU Kelley Indianapolis family in late March as the new Assistant Director of Communications and Media Relations. As an alum of IU Bloomington’s Ernie Pyle School of Journalism, I’m thrilled to make my transition from journalist to communications writer within the IUPUI family. My husband, Seth, is Kelley alum, so I know first-hand how valuable that name recognition is once you graduate.

People always ask me how I could leave television news. “It must be so exciting,” they say. And the world of broadcast news does have its merits: I interviewed then-presidential candidate Barack Obama, Mrs. Obama and then-Vice Presidential hopeful Joe Biden. I was granted access to fascinating factories and thrilling airplane rides, plus I met everyday people who made a difference. I loved covering news on university campuses such as Kent State, Youngstown State and Northern Michigan Universities. But I felt like something was missing. I’d spend a day on a story (sometimes a very boring one!), and then move on. It was something different every day, but it only scratched the surface of each topic. I wanted to work more in-depth on something I cared about; something on which I could have a biased opinion for once.

That’s why the communications job here at Kelley Indianapolis is perfect. It gives me a chance to meet and promote some of the most inspiring, accomplished students I’ve ever known, while also returning home to Indiana. I can continue to fulfill my love of writing stories while also using my years of reporting experience to assist the media in covering what’s happening here. There’s plenty of room at the table for schools to be publicly recognized; Kelley deserves its place at the top.

I know that a Kelley degree is valuable and noteworthy. I understand how much weight it carries on my husband’s resume and vicariously I know how it feels for a student to work hard and finally complete I-Core! Just listening to the accomplishments by Kelley students at the Scholarships and Awards Breakfast last month impressed and motivated me to help tell the stories of the young people here who achieve so much. I’m inspired by two recent stories: Kelley grad Assoumaou Mayaki, who plans to do work in microfinance development for struggling women in Niger, and Evening MBA graduate Manoj Rana, who survived a deadly house fire with 95 percent burns to his body, and went on to earn his degree. These are stories I love to tell.

There is no shortage of impressive and newsworthy students, faculty and staff here at Kelley Indianapolis. I look forward to meeting you all and telling your stories. Please contact me at spwinter@iupui.edu with anything interesting you notice at Kelley.

From Kelley Indianapolis' Kyle Hickey, Marketing, Supply Chain and International Studies - Class of 2012

Surprisingly, over the past four years I have never really thought about what the last day of my undergraduate degree would look like. However, the past few months I have had many thoughts about this coming day and what it will most likely look like. One thing I do know is there will be many emotions wrapped up on commencement day.

Putting on my cap and gown the day of commencement will be the beginning to a very special day. I picture commencement day where my family, best friends, and Kelley staff and faculty will be there to celebrate with me. I know there will be many “thank yous” passed out from my side for all the people who have helped me get to where I am now and who I know will help me in the future.

I also look forward to being with my friends and seeing them walk across the stage. These friends have been my closest for the last four years, and it makes me really happy to be graduating with them. When studying got hard, when writing didn’t come, when relaxing was needed, when laughing was a must, and when lecturing got dry – my friends were always there for me.

My family, who I know is so proud of me, also will be there to celebrate with me. It truly humbles me to think of what my parents have sacrificed and done to help me complete these four years. I know that they are really proud, and it means the world that they will be there to congratulate me. Walking across the stage will signify one very important phase of life coming to a close and the beginning of a new, exciting phase of life. Commencement day will be one of the happiest days of my life.

From Kelley Indianapolis' Kyle Hickey, Marketing, Supply Chain and International Studies - Class of 2012

This semester has come to a close as will my undergraduate experience here at Kelley. Thoughts have been racing through my mind such as: registering for classes, buying a parking permit, finding the best deal on books, and seeing which friends are going to be in my classes. However, there is not going to be another semester. I graduate in a couple of days. It is a strange, bizarre, yet exciting realization all at the same time. Reflecting over the past four years has been limited due to taking 17 credit hours, working a part-time job, working as an intern, and juggling friends. Now that it is all over, I want to reflect on some of the most memorable and valuable experiences I have had at Kelley Indianapolis.

Because IUPUI is a commuter school, some students don’t make new friends and connections. Some are satisfied with their existing high school friends. Others simply come to school to get a degree. A degree, to me, is much more than just a sheet of paper saying I have completed something–it has a much deeper and lasting importance.

I-Core was my first Kelley experience about which I was really excited and proud to be a Kelley student. Through this experience I was able to connect with my three group members in a way that is unexplainable. Each of us had a distinct personality, along with special skills, that enabled us to work together and come up with the best possible plan for the organization we worked with. These group members are like family now and I would do anything for them.

Yes, I know all of you have had group members that do not contribute their parts, but for the ones you really do connect with, hold on to and never let them go. You are going to be out in the real world very soon working with a group of people, make the most of it and hear their input and recommendations. If you listen to them, they will listen to you. I have learned so much respect for others throughout my four years at Kelley by being in so many group settings.

As college students, we see Kelley professors and staff as people we can’t relate to. We think they live completely different from us. This is how I saw them for my first year or so. However, I realized they are people who understand college students the best, and they can relate to me in so many ways. Once I was struck by this realization, I began to actually build relationships with my professors and staff by talking and listening to their advice. Now that graduation has come around, I am so thankful for the relationships and connections that have been built with so many Kelley professors and staff. They only want the best for each of you, so take time to talk and relate to them. They will be there for you after your days at Kelley are over.

From Kelley Indianapolis' Kyle Hickey, Marketing, Supply Chain and International Studies - Class of 2012

Most college students have been hounded by someone asking, “Do you have an internship?” If your answer is no, then keep looking until you find one.  You will learn countless things that are not listed in traditional job descriptions. Before college even began, I knew that I wanted to complete an internship before graduation, and I have. Here are three tips to make your internship experience valuable and productive.

At the beginning of my junior year, I started my internship search. I devoted most of my Christmas break to interviewing and developing a list of 200 working professionals with whom I could network. I also studied for my insurance license because I thought I would be working in that field. I started the second week of January with an entire week of insurance training. The training went great, and I was all pumped up to go sell some insurance. The staff was always excited, and it seemed like the environment was a great fit for me. However, after three weeks, I realized it wasn’t the right fit for me. What I am trying to communicate is you will never know until you try it. Take a chance on something, open the door to new experiences, and determine your place in the company.

Not long after my short-lived internship in insurance, I was told about a different internship opportunity. This internship turned out to be the right one for me. During my interning experience I have come to realize that flexibility is probably one of the most important things I have learned. Throughout my yearlong internship, I dabbled in marketing research, special event coordination, photography, and videography. Working with the professionals in each of these areas has allowed me to gain skills that I never thought possible if I would have solely been a photography intern. No matter where you are, you have the ability to learn new things and try things outside what you are used to.

My last tip: Do not treat your internship like a job, but like an extra class. You are there to learn from those around you and gain an understanding of what it is like to work in a professional job setting. If you develop relationships during your internship, these professionals will help you succeed in the future. They will offer career advice, résumé critique, recommendations, or connections they have. To conclude, be open, friendly, trainable, and excited about the internship you have. It could change your future forever. I know it did mine.

Two years ago I entered the wide hallways of the business building of IUPUI. As a freshman, I was just waiting to see what the future would hold. Wanting to get involved with something I choose Kelley Indianapolis Cares for its great community service oppurtunities and impact on the community.This organization works with Gleaners, Habitat for Humanity, as well as many others. I could not wait to see what else was in store during my ungraduate experience

However, I soon realized that I can't just sit around and wait to see what the future will hold. I need to act upon it now. In order to get an internship my junior year through Kelley Careers, graduate with Accounting Degree and a Finance Degree, and pass the CPA Exam, I need to start preparing myself for the future. As professor Tim Bennett once said, "market your brand". We each have our own brand that defines who we are professional, whether you have a lot of great skills, are a strong leader, or have the ability to organize large scale events. We each have goals, ambitions, and know that in the future there is something that we want. However companies don't hire just a set of skills, they hire people with plans, motivations, and hobbies. They hire people who know who they are.

So here is my brand-My name is Ashley Manuel. I'm an accounting and finance major. I believe serving others can change the world, but most of all it can change how you percieve yourself. I strive to be a great leader, but I believe in order to become a great leader you first must be able to help others with compassion and integrity. I want to become a CPA and work in tax at a public accounting firm after graduation and I'm extremely excited about beginning as a blogger for the Kelley Biz Blog. All in all, just like anyone else, I want to make a footprint in the world and leave college with a bright future ahead of me.

 

 

 Apparently, most Americans don’t think they are living up to their creative potential – according to new research from Adobe only 39% of Americans say they are. If you want to see the data from Adobe for yourself, click here. At the same time, I am sure that most marketers would say being creative is an important characteristic to have. Okay, so what’s the definition of being creative?

Creativity has a wide variety of definitions. According to Wikipedia, there are over 100 definitions of creativity and being creative. But, there are some common themes – being able to see something new, unusual, and/or novel that is of some value or is useful in some way.

In Kelley Indianapolis' undergraduate marketing degree program, students have to develop a complete marketing plan for an existing, local brand. One of the reasons that these local companies work with Kelley students is because they are hoping the students will help them figure out something new and different they could be doing to be more successful. So, it makes sense that we might do some exercises to expand or highlight students’ creativity. Here’s one assignment. At the beginning of the semester, students are given the page below and told to come up with the most creative way to use these patterns.

This semester, I also encouraged them to not feel restricted to two dimensions – they could use these patterns in any creative manner that occurred to them. Over the next 10 weeks, I reminded them about the assignment and gave them the opportunity to pick up additional copies or patterns. Well, I was totally amazed at how creative some of our students are. I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the most novel ways these patterns were used:

• How about a diorama of a foreign community or village?

• Anyone interested in a flower? Or, a pinwheel?

• Or a hanging twirlie?

• A caterpillar? Or, a set of coasters?

• 3D versions of the pattern?

• A story depiction of Fat Tire beer, a brand we’ve been analyzing all semester?

• Or substituting your face for one of the patterns?

• And even creating a fractal?

Bottomline – our students found a wide variety of novel ways to use these patterns several of which would also be quite useful. Which do you think is most creative?

Commencement Celebration Week by Carly Griffin, Class of 2012

Commencement Celebration Week is upon us. For me, that means there is literally only one week left before I am a proud graduate of the Kelley School of Business. This week of celebration is a time to show seniors appreciation for all of their hard work and dedication. I personally know that the faculty and staff are equally as proud to see the graduating seniors walk across the stage at commencement to their future success. So this week is truly a time for celebration all around.

Yesterday, Kelley provided breakfast and coffee to students who were working hard to prepare for finals. Pizza will be available to those evening MBA students who come to campus after a hard day’s work.  Students will also be celebrating the end of the semester in the courtyard with Kelley’s annual “Backyard Bash”, as well as applauding achievement at the Scholarship and Awards Breakfast for outstanding students.

The overall idea of this week is centered on the idea of leaving a legacy. What are the things that you want to be remembered for during your time at Kelley? I know for a fact that I want my legacy to be making sure that students in the Kelley School get the most out of their education, especially on the Indianapolis campus. We have an entire city’s worth of resources at our fingertips, and it is vital for students to be connected in a way that they are able to tap into such valuable resources. I also want my fellow students to understand the full meaning of the Kelley brand. Other than a graduate of the school we attend who ran Steak-N-Shake, who exactly was Ed Kelley? Why was he so significant to the business world, and how did he manage to impact the business world on such a large scale? Ed Kelley not only contributed multitudes of work to the food industry, but went forward to give back to the school that gave him his foundational business education.

This is the kind of legacy that I want to leave. I want to be well respected and trusted in my community. IUPUI and the Kelley School of Business have helped me to get started.

As a marketing professor, I am always keeping my eyes open for examples of strong marketing. At the same time, I try to think of ways to help my marketing degree students experience these examples for themselves rather than having me just tell them about it.

For the last several years, I’ve kept track of TOMS Shoes. Actually, one of my students first shared the story of this company with me. He was one of those students who cared both about business and doing good. His team did a presentation about TOMS’ dual focus of making a profit and giving back to the community. In case you don’t know TOMS story, here’s the elevator pitch: With every shoe you purchase, TOMS gives one to a child in need. As part of his Amazing Race experience, Blake Mycoskie (TOMS’ founder) discovered a lot of children without shoes. He set up his company to help change that.

There are many things from a marketing perspective that TOMS does right:

• Product – the basic shoe is comfortable and interesting. They constantly change up the designs to keep customer interest. They work with designers to add extra cachet. They even have seasonal offerings. But, the basic shoe is great. Product also includes packaging, which again is a hit for TOMS. Check out the photo below from Savannah Smiled’s Tumblr(http://savannahsmiled.tumblr.com/). The box reminds you of the cause and TOMS story. Inside, there’s a shoe bag, a logo sticker and a letter from Blake.

 

• Price – these are definitely not the cheapest shoes around. But, that’s not really the point is it? Instead, the price point is acceptable (basic shoes are $44 - $58) especially when you realize that you are really buying two pairs – one for you and one for another. TOMS does little discounting; the most frequent is free shipping.

 

• Place – TOMS is primarily sold in their own online store. But, they can also be found online at Amazon and in select bricks & mortar stores including Nordstrom’s and independent specialty boutiques.

 

• Promotion – this is where TOMS excels. Great website. Having received TOMS emails for about 2 years, great email marketing strategy. TOMS also does all of the social media – twitter, Facebook, Pinterest. This year, they’ve direct mailed one catalog (which I know got my mom to buy another pair after seeing all her choices). And, the blog is very engaging. TOMS doesn’t rank in organic search for shoes, but that’s a highly competitive category. The cause marketing initiative “One Day Without Shoes" is where TOMS’ efforts are unparalleled. One April Tuesday every year, One Day Without Shoes asks people all over the world to take off their shoes to see what those without experience every day. This initiative has its own website, highly linked to TOMS of course. The website itself has a lot to offer – a robust story; an event locator and ability to register your own event; a national challenge to get organizations to register their members with a Blake party for the winner; downloadable event materials including rally signs, street stencils, DIY shirts, pocket cards, stickers, banners, displays and toolkits; an iPhone event locator app; videos; a photowall; even a way to do it virtually via Sims and all of the social sharing integrations you could want.

 

So, this year I asked my undergraduates to participate in this event for extra credit. Although they thought it was a way to earn bonus points, I hoped they would experience the power of word-of-mouth marketing. Lucky for me, my class meets on Tuesday so they could come to class without their shoes. Naturally, I too went without shoes for the day – yep, those blue toenails are mine.

 

 

Afterwards, they have to reflect on the day and share their thoughts with me. Their reflections covered a couple of key themes:

1. You become a champion of a cause and play a key role informing others:

“Fortunately, right before my M450, while walking through the hallway between the library and the business building, a student stopped me and thanked me for participating, claiming she did not have the courage to do so. It made me feel amazing. It’s funny how one person can make that big of a difference.”

 “Also, I realized that very few people are aware of this issue. With many people unaware of TOMS or the event, I found enjoyment in explaining my slightly kooky appearance in the middle of the library. I felt like I was an insider with great information about a good movement/cause.”

“I love being able to explain to people why I am walking around looking like a crazy person, it brings a spirit of humility upon me.”

“One thing that I learned during my experience of “One Day Without Shoes” was how much awareness that simply one person can make by going barefoot. I never believed it until I did it on April 10. More and more people kept on asking me about why I wasn’t wearing shoes and just like the website had mentioned raising awareness can be achieved by drawing attention to certain things.”

“It was cool how people would ask you the reasoning behind being barefoot, because I was able to spread the word about one day without shoes.”

2. Without shoes, you spend more of the day looking down to try and protect your feet:

“Before this experience, I didn’t realize how much I took shoes for granted. Every step I took was calculated and not one went without me looking down to see the next. I think it was a good experience to essentially walk a mile in someone else’s shoes... Only walking that mile barefoot. When I was walking barefoot outside, it was the thing on the top of my mind. Whereas when I have shoes on, I think about what I’m about to do next, what I have to do later that day, etc. I never think about the next step I’m going to take.”

“Today, I was without shoes. I spent a great deal of my time looking down in order to make sure I didn't step on anything sharp or jagged. Walking without shoes also made me walk a little slower than normal.”

3. Without shoes, your feet get dirty and they hurt:

“At times it was painful and agonizing to think about how dirty my feet were getting.”

“At the end of the day, my feet hurt in spots that don’t usually hurt!”

“My feet became very dirty and they were starting to ache after awhile.  I also realized that you use different muscles in your feet when you walk without shoes.”

4. We take our shoes for granted, worrying about which ones to buy rather than being glad we have them

“Sometimes I spend so much time shopping for the 'perfect' shoe when in all actuality I should be grateful to have shoes period. It is important at times to step back and be thankful for the basic needs of life.”

“We as Americans don’t realize how good we have it in our country. We take for granted the fact that the many people in the world do not have one pair of shoes while we all tend to have several pairs of shoes for different occasions.”

 

Dear TOMS Shoes –

Kelley School of Business Indianapolis undergraduate marketing students and I want to thank you for giving us an opportunity to undertake a worthy experiential education activity. 

We vow to go “One Day Without Shoes” again next year!

(FYI – in case you didn’t know, IUPUI won The Challenge in 2011 and Blake will be visiting our campus on April 30, 2012 to celebrate our efforts and share his story)

Most organizations have them, and the names by which they call themselves vary. Their purpose, however, is the same—to advise the chief administrator. The Kelley Evening MBA Student Advisory Board (SAB), formerly known as the Evening MBA Association, is a direct link to the faculty, providing MBA students an opportunity to contribute to the growth of the program.

Zach Wills (@zwills93) serves as the Evening MBA SAB president. He says the group’s primary goals are 1) to provide student feedback to the Kelley Indianapolis administration and 2) to build community among Evening MBA students and faculty.

Just weeks into his time as president, Wills has organized opportunities for both. The SAB is coordinating regular meetings and discussions with Associate Dean Phil Cochran and Evening MBA Faculty Chair Steve Jones. Last weekend, the board hosted a work-day with Second Helpings and prepared 60 pounds of food for the Indianapolis community.

Evening MBA students, faculty and alumni may connect with the SAB via the group’s LinkedIn page.

As I flipped channels during halftime of the IU/Kentucky basketball game on Friday night, I was overwhelmed by a barrage of fitness infomercials. Each featured real people achieving real results in just 90 days or as little as 20 minutes a day. I’m not sure why, but I started thinking about the real people who graduate from Kelley Indianapolis and the real successes they find in central Indiana and, frankly, any place they want to be.

Jaime Lira, a 2010 alumna of the Kelley Evening MBA program, recently shared her own self-improvement journey. Hers took considerably more than 90 days (actually, 2-1/2 years) and resulted in a career change and a new attitude to “fill the bucket.” Discover why Jaime says filling the bucket is vital for real people seeking real results.   

Like many in Central Indiana and beyond, I anxiously awaited (dreaded?) the news about Peyton Manning. And like many I was disappointed by the outcome. But I am not here to join the pundits waxing poetic as why it happened, where #18 will go, or who is to blame. No, as a Management professor with a focus on Strategy and Entrepreneurship, I’d like to focus on one aspect about the news over the last 3 months that disturbed me: The distinction that this was a “business decision” and the implications of what that entails.

So what does this mean? A business decision as opposed to…what? I looked back through much of the press over the breakup announced today, and interestingly there are few direct alternatives explicitly named. A business versus a philanthropic decision? Versus a “non-pareto optimal” decision (a nod to our economist friends)? Perhaps the alternative would be a Ouija board decision?

A decision based on relationships seems to be the preferred interpretation of an alternative. This was all about the Benjamins, not the good will Peyton may have generated, his role in the community, or what this means for the team and NFL. No, this was just about $$. And that makes it a “business decision.” (You almost want to spit that out, don’t you?)

I teach strategy to practicing managers and executives in Central Indiana and in the Kelley Direct online program, which reaches savvy business folks worldwide. I have had the privilege of advising executives and boards of firms large and small, old and new. And I doubt that ANY of the experienced businesspeople I have come in contact with would tell you that “business decisions” are purely economic. In fact, most would argue that it is the people and the relationships between them that most directly affect the success of an organization, whether a new venture or ongoing concern, for-profit or not-for-profit. To aver that business decisions and relationship decisions are on opposing ends of some rationality continuum is an insult to businesspeople, as well as the readers of the articles that directly or indirectly imply such a contrast. Business is ALL about relationships.

As such, Peyton leaving Indianapolis was a relationship AND business decision. The two are inextricably linked. I am sure that the powers that be (OK, might as well say it—Mr. Irsay) recognized that this was not a decision about just dollars and one person, or even A Tale of Two Quarterbacks (Mr. Kravitz, a great title idea for a book you might publish in the future on this chapter in Colts history!).  The relationships involved extend to the team, the community, and the public perception of the NFL overall. We can only assume that someone of Mr. Irsay’s experience and savvy fully understands that we know it is about more than money. Do people pay crazy amounts of money for tickets because of the “product?” For access to the good value beer, hot dogs, and NFL gear? I think not—it is to be part of an experience that gives meaning to our lives. Anything that reduces that to a “show me the money” mentality really misses the boat. So I trust that the decision here weighed these intangibles appropriately.

Corporate America has gotten a bad rap over the last few years as being self-indulgent, greedy, and full of hubris. This is a far cry from the majority of entrepreneurs, managers, and corporate leaders I have had the opportunity to know and teach or work with over the years. So yes, this may have been a business decision, but relationships were first and foremost—and to associate “business decisions” with a lack of soul, devoid of sensitivity to the people involved, is inaccurate and unjust.

A closing note…I look forward to cheering for Peyton Manning wherever he ends up. I also suggest we not hold Andrew Luck, assuming he is the choice come draft day, to any specific expectations or blame him or the Colts organization if he does not measure up to #18. He is by all reports a promising quarterback and a fine young man—let’s let him decide how he will express that in coming years.

B2B Video Provided by Kelley's Office for External Affairs:

Written by Carly Griffin, Senior Marketing Student

I can honestly say that this past Wednesday was the most fun that I have ever had on the second floor of the Business Building. For the past five years, the Kelley School has hosted a student engagement event for students, and this year’s theme was Backpacks to Briefcases (B2B). As an intern for the Kelley Office for External Affairs, I had the privilege of coordinating the logistics of this event.

The goal of B2B was to educate Kelley students about reaching important milestones while progressing through their college years.  Representatives from the Office of Student Financial Services, Kelley Academic Programs, the Kelley Career Planning Office, Kelley Indianapolis Student Government, and First Year Programs all attended and gave us important real-life tips for success. For example, Financial Services wanted to make sure that students in their junior years knew how to calculate their spending habits and create appropriate budgets. Financial Services also wanted seniors to be aware of their credit reports and how to read them correctly.  

In addition to the educational information provided during Kelley B2B, there were opportunities for students to be involved through social media outlets. A Twitter hash tag (#kelleyindyb2b) was available to collect student comments all day long. In addition, Kelley students were invited to participate in a Facebook photo contest by posting creative photos of their backpacks on the Kelley Indianapolis Facebook page.  The winner took home a leather Kelley briefcase.

Students were also invited to participate in the backpack weighing contest that took place on the second floor throughout the day. The winning backpack weighed in at a whopping 34.3 pounds!

For me, B2B was more than just take-home knowledge. Planning the event provided me with real-world experience and allowed me to network with people I would have never had a chance to know otherwise. I worked closely with Angie Meyer in the Career Planning Office. After meeting and talking with her, she asked me to run for secretary of Kelley’s Student Government. It felt good to think that only after meeting me a time or two, she trusted me to do a great job for this organization. I ran for the position, and you are now reading this blog written by the secretary for the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis Student Government!  In addition, I worked on B2B plans for the Academic Programs Office with Carly Grennes. She is academic advisor for the Kelley undergraduate program. After our collaboration on this event, Carly nominated me to the IUPUI Top 100 Program. I am excited to share that I am pursuing this nomination.

I have never been more proud to be a part of the Kelley school than I was during the Backpacks to Briefcases festivities. This opportunity showed me that it’s important to be engaged with student activities while completing my college degree. Not only did I gain invaluable experiences and relationships, I had a lot of fun!

When people think of ice breakers, usually the thought that comes to mind is some sort of game or random topic to help make the formal atmosphere more relaxed. I started a new job a few weeks ago and like with any new job there is that moment where you make a connection with your new co-workers through some sort of ice breaker. I wish I could say that I spontaneously came up with this exciting topic that just drew everyone in, but that was not the case at all. In fact, I didn’t say anything; my IU Kelley School of Business water bottle did all the talking. The person who was training me looked over and was like “Oh, you went IU?” She got excited and told me she was IU alum as well and mentioned there were a few other recent IU alums that work with us. 

We all clicked right away thanks to my IU water bottle. There was definitely a sense of school pride amongst everyone. Who knew a simple gift of appreciation from the IU Kelley School of Business, Office of External Affairs would become my ice breaker. I was immediately at ease knowing I was surrounded by my fellow IU alumni. 

Coincidently, later that same day in the office kitchen, I ran into IU Kelley School of Business Indianapolis alum that I had several classes with before. It took me a second to realize who she was, but I just decided to introduce myself right away and when she said her name it clicked. I remember she used to twirl her hair in class all the time.  She laughed as she admitted that she was very well-known for that habit.  It was quite exciting when I kept meeting all the IU alumni working at the same company. There was an instant bond based on the fact that we all attended the same University. 

 The seemingly insignificant became very significant  The water bottle that I just happened to leave at my desk and something so trivial that I remember about somebody I went to school with sparked conversation. People often forget that most of the time networking involves just the simplest icebreakers.  Meeting new people can be nerve wrecking sometimes, but remember not to over think it and let it be organic. Sometimes it is just that simple.

Do you know that Kelley School of Business Indianapolis is sitting square in the middle of the startup revolution?

Edward De Bono is a business management consultant whose primary focus is in fostering creativity in businesses and indivduals. To anyone interested in creative thinking (and everyone should be), I would highly recommend both "Lateral Thinking" and "Six Thinking Hats" as seminal works on purposefully creative thinking.

Submitted by Kelley Indianapolis' Melissa Seibert, 2007 Marketing and HR Alumna.
If you would like to share your Super Bowl Experience please take a moment and fill out our simple form.

While I am a volunteer for Super Bowl XLVI, I also want to experience the excitement as a guest. So, since last Friday, I've taken in Super Bowl Village twice and the NFL Experience.

In my first view of Super Bowl Village, I struggled to express all the emotions I was feeling. I'm a life-long Hoosier and a thirty-year resident of Indianapolis. I was and am so proud of my city and state and the way we have transformed into a true Super Bowl city.

The energy downtown is palpable. Everyone is smiling, having a good time, and who cares about the crowds and weather? Doesn't matter because our Hoosier hospitality is addictive and spreads fast.

Attached are a couple of pictures. I'm the one on the left in front of the NFL logo, a 2007 Kelley graduate. I was hanging with my sister, niece and friend.

The other picture is the JW Marriott. No matter how many times I see this image on the building, I smile, and want to take pictures. This really could remain a permanent display, in my opinion.

Have a "super" day!

While I wish I had an attention grabbing, thought provoking, and mind blowing first sentence to my introductory blog career, I am ashamed to admit that I am suffering from something quite common in my department: stress. 

First, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Nate Canada and I am the latest of bloggers for the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis. I graduated from the Kelley School with a Human Resources Management Degree and will most likely be pursuing an Entrepreneurship MBA in the future. I'm quite excited to interact with you, my reader, in the upcoming months of blog posts by yours truly.

A little bit more about myself, I am currently the youngest member of the Compliance and Ethics department of a local, Hoosier owned and operated corporation. While I realize this has nothing to do with my degree in Human Resources, I've come to understand that great personal and professional insight can be gleaned from any and all work experience in business.

One such experience relates to my earlier problem of stress. Anytime a company espouses and emphasizes ethics in the workplace, stress is bound to be nearby. The right way is not always the easiest and every person can relate to that truth. To make my job a little bit more difficult, I am a detail-oriented, perfectionist who struggles with beating myself up mentally when I make any sort of error.

Thankfully, I've been blessed to have picked up a few tips on dealing with stress from someone much wiser than myself: my boss. (In unrelated news, I am hoping to get a raise soon.) Seeing as we all deal with stress on a daily basis in some way or another, I thought I would share three suggestions that our team uses to deal with stress.

1. Prioritization - Each morning, our team huddles up and explains the top three tasks we will be working on for the day. I've found this to be incredibly helpful, especially when unexpected work gets piled on. Keeping your focus on the big picture makes filling in the details much easier.
2. Exercise - Nothing helps me blow off steam like an intense workout at the gym. I know this may seem cliche or even unexpected from a business related  blog but I consider all areas of my life to be business related. The company I work for emphasizes the idea that an employee should work harder on yourself than you do on your job. I would agree wholeheartedly that we become better employees as we become better people. My work team shares insight on diet, nutrition, and makes sure each team member does not have any photos displaying our physique. Feeling the strain at work? Hit the gym.
3. "The Little Things" - One of the favorite movies among my co-workers is Zombieland, which reminds us about, "Rule 32: Enjoy the little things." One of these "little things" that our work team uses to relax is basketball. Several of us have mini-basketball hoops from Dave and Busters that are often used after an intense phone call, an unexpected email, or worrisome letter. I can't tell you how good it feels pull off a 360 slam dunk after a rough day at the office.

While I'm sure stress will always be a part of life, hopefully these tips and helpful reminders on dealing with the strain can be of use in both the personal and professional arenas of life.

Do you have any ways to keep stress at bay during the work day or at home? Feel free to share what works for you!

If you'd like to keep up with me outside of my blog posts, I can be followed at NCanadaWeTrust on Twitter. [Warning:Topics range from how great Kelley Indianapolis is to how much I despise Katherine Heigl films.] I am incredibly excited about this blogging journey and hope you'll stick around to see where it leads.

-Nate

From Kelley Indianapolis' Marc Lane, JD/MBA student

As the turn of the year presents me with new resolutions, career ambitions, and life challenges, I look ahead to the mountainous range of lofty ambitions I’ve set with promise, vigor, and even a bit of reserved apprehension. My journey these first few weeks begins, as past year’s journeys have, seemingly productive and positive, with the freshness of youthful purpose. But, each step towards a mountain presents a new perspective, a closer look; each goal becomes a bit more daunting and the mountain a bit taller. I’ve faced this realization in the past, and have come to know it well. Each year, its passion meets with demoralizing demise where reachable hill tops have become the Himalayan Summit.

While this illustration might seem embellished, I ask you to consider carefully the expectations and goals you’ve set for yourself, your significant others, and those within your reach at work. Personally, I’ve gained much through carefully considering my own abilities and managing expectations. However, I do not wish to quell the human spirit, to tread on the dreams of those passionate enough to challenge the mountains, the lofty goals we dream of achieving. My goal is only to provide an alternative perspective.

In my youth, my career goals often emulated the depiction presented above. Through experience I’ve gained a great appreciation for the value of meeting small goals, and an understanding that lofty ambitions always require a thousand steps in between departure and reaching the summit. Why do we so often overlook the small successes we achieve? These successes are like footholds in the mountainside; they are the foundations upon which we stand to take the next step towards the peak, towards our ultimate ends. Without recognizing and appreciating these small gains and the realization of progress in the midst of various struggles and minor defeats we lose perspective of where we’ve come from. We focus only on the distance between our current position and the lofty goals we’ve set. And, in time the negatives begin to weigh upon us; breaking us down.

Whether your goal is to become a CEO, president, the top sales person on your team, a better husband/wife, a better father/mother, a better friend, or even a better you, this practice remains equally invaluable. Dismantle lofty goals into logical, rational and reachable stepping stones. Develop an understanding of why each step is important, and celebrate the successes of reaching smaller mountain tops. I promise, you’ll come to find the road less daunting and in the end you’ll look back upon your journey with a greater appreciation for what you’ve accomplished.

Recommended reading: The Progress Principle; Leadership and Self-Deception; The Leadership Challenge; Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.

Students looking for undergraduate business internships, one of the best bits of advice or recruiter memes is "If you want to be interesting, be interested." 

Meaning that if you're really passionate about something you'll likely be learning more about it or be actively involved in it. This is HUGE for recruiters, passion really dazzles in an interview. The new trend in recruiting is hire for attitude, train for skills. Companies can hire endless amounts of average workers, they're really searching for interesting and talented people that are good at a lot of little things. So do your homework on the company you're contacting or interviewing with, odds are they have something about the culture of their company on their website. If you make an effort to be interested in them, they might reciprocate. 

If that whole reciprocation thing doesn't happen make sure to not end the relationship on bad note, because that recruiter might be keeping you in consideration for a future position or might suggest you to another recruiter. Odds are that they'll say something about your background starting with experiental education, something that the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis excels at. A little tip that recruiters find thoughtful is to send a handwritten letter after the interview to thank them for the opportunity.

Kelley Indianapolis students have a unique opportunity to network with recruiters because all of the professors have strong ties in business the community, they know all the right people to connect with. Tip #2 is to chat with your professors and dare I say engage in class.  

So remember "If you want to be interesting, be interested." Do your company culture/identity homework. Network your face off. Be confident in yourself and your abilities. Showoff your passions. Never stop learning. If you can manage to do all those things some sparks should fly in your internship search. 

If any inspiration came from these little thoughts of mine...tell me via twitter @jckilgore.